


What If...? - No. 2 - Joshua still wanted to retire from being Composer?

by ImperfectOrphanage



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 14:39:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8848912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperfectOrphanage/pseuds/ImperfectOrphanage
Summary: Second in the What If...? Series where we explore ideas relating to the Game.
What if, at the end of everything, Joshua still wanted Neku to shoot him?





	

Sunlight glared through the windows of the Sunshine Stationside. Neku was busy studying for an exam, with one hand taking notes and the other shoveling chicken nuggets into his mouth. The teacher giving the exam was tough, but at least he gave good directions on what to study. It also helped that Neku hadn’t missed any school. He found no time had passed between his death and the Game.

But if he didn’t hurry and finish eating, he wouldn’t make it to his next appointment.

He grabbed his drink and closed his eyes to take a long swig from the straw. When he opened his eyes he nearly choked on the liquid.

Joshua sat across from him.

He was frowning, and his arms were lazily crossed on the table in front of him. He eyed Neku with distain, and his mouth curled into a pout. On the table between them, Joshua had placed the one thing from the Game that Neku hadn’t wanted to see ever again.

“Josh, uh, you know guns aren’t usually allowed in restaurants.” Neku set his book and pencil down before scooting his chair back a few inches. “And hey, how have you been? I haven’t seen you since the last time you shot me.”

“Why didn’t you shoot me?”

Neku was confused. He leaned in, thinking he might have heard wrong. “What did you say?”

One pale hand lifted into the air and within an instant the world around them froze. The pocket of time Joshua held them in was silent, and the Composer sighed in irritation before repeating, “Why did you not shoot me when you had the chance?”

“Because I don’t go around shooting people for fun?” Neku gave the boy a weird look. “I haven’t seen you in a month and the first thing you ask is why I didn’t shoot you in the face.”

Joshua nudged one of the chicken nuggets over the crinkling wrapper it sat on. He pushed it off the side of the tray and watched as it bounced onto the table. “I gave you ample time to shoot.”

“That’s not the point,” Neku said. He picked his book back up. “You could keep this going if you want, I need a lot more time to study.”

“Neku,” Joshua sighed. He sounded more like the boy he had pretended to be than the man he actually was. “You had the world at your fingertips. You would have had power unimaginable at your control and the ability to mold and shape the city to your will. Why wouldn’t you want that?”

He grabbed another nugget to chomp on. Joshua waited for his answer.

“Well, I didn’t want it. I mean, it can’t be all that great if you’re not happy, right?”

Joshua pursed his lips. He stole one of the nuggets from Neku’s tray to squish between his fingers. “You’re an enigma. I don’t understand you.”

“People aren’t meant to be understood, Joshua. Isn’t that what you told me? It’s impossible to understand people?” Neku flipped a page and began taking notes again.

The nugget bounced back onto the tray. “I want you to shoot me.”

“And I want to pass this class, so…yeah…” Neku popped the nugget up and tossed it in his mouth.

“Neku,” Joshua began, but stopped to chew on his bottom lip. “I’m not happy.”

“In my experience, Josh, people like you rarely are.”

The Composer watched him. He said nothing for several minutes. Eventually, Joshua pulled the book away from Neku and set it down on the table next to the gun. “I want you to shoot me. Consider it repayment for the wrongs I have done unto you.”

Neku considered it for half a breath. He reached out, picked the gun up by the barrel, and turned it toward Joshua. His fingers grazed the grip and danced along the trigger. The gun was heavy and cold in his hands, and Neku pointed it at Joshua.

Once proud and powerful, Joshua closed his eyes and appeared to be waiting.

“Bang,” Neku said.

He could see Joshua’s shoulders flinch. A moment passed and the lavender eyes opened slowly to gaze around the room. Within an instant his expression fell to anger and he snatched the gun away. “Do you think this is a joke, Neku Sakuraba?!”

“No, but I think you’re being stupid, and that’s kinda funny because I know you’re smarter than this. Seriously, Josh? If you don’t want to be a Composer anymore, just retire.”

“I can’t retire without a replacement.”

Neku shrugged. “Sucks to be you then.”

“How dare-“

Outside of the restaurant there was a tap on the glass. Hanekoma stood on the sidewalk staring at Joshua between two buns in the Sunshine Burgers’ logo. He was pissed, and his wings were out.

“Wow,” Neku said, “I didn’t know he had fluffy wings. Do you have fluffy wings?”

Joshua let his wings unfurl and they were wider than the booth Neku sat in. They flapped once and a cascade of rainbow color and feathers fell to the floor to dissipate into static-at least, all but one feather did. It was red and blue, and it landed in front of Neku with a metallic clink. He picked it up, turned it this way and that, and looked up to see Joshua had gone away. Hanekoma was no longer outside of the window, and time began to flow again with a clatter of noise.

Neku twirled the pinion in his fingers. He used it as a bookmark.


End file.
